Furor Over Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne Continues
Furor Over Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne Continues | © “DAILY TENNIS NEWS WIRE”
In Australia gay rights protesters are upping the demands for Melbourne Park’s third show court to no longer be named Margaret Court Arena after the outspoken comments by the 24-time Grand Slam singles champion, attacking same-sex marriages. But Billie Jean King, a long time rival of Court and a determined advocate for gay rights, vehemently disagrees.
“Get rid of her for that, because you don’t agree with her?” said King. “Are you kidding? No, no, no. She deserves it. She’s a great player.”
King, who has the home of the U.S. Open named in her honor, was talking to the Desert Sun newspaper in California. “I totally respect her opinion, but I don’t agree with her at all,” she said.
“We have a rising problem with homophobia globally. This is about civil rights. It’s about equality, having equal opportunities and rights. Everyone gets too wigged out on it. I guess because it’s sexual, people get funny. But it’s just about equal rights. That’s all it is. And I don’t know what they’re trying to make it into. It’s just equal rights.”
King revealed she and Court have dinner together annually at Wimbledon and have regularly debated gay-rights issues. Nevertheless King feels that the main court at the Australian Open, the Rod Laver Arena, should also contain include some reference to the woman with whom she contested five major singles finals.
“I thought the center court should be Laver and her name together,” said King. “They’re the two greatest champions in our game, and she had more Slams.
“For her to have the third ranked court is terrible. I was furious. I went to the heads of Australia, I told them I don’t agree with this. You can’t do this, you can’t give her Court 3, she deserves much better than this. That’s a disgrace to women. She won 62 Grand Slam titles, how could you ever give her Court 3. It was diabolical.”
© “DAILY TENNIS NEWS WIRE”
Topics: Billie Jean King, Margaret Court
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